brrfandomcom-20200214-history
M c14s01
Text Luna and Scrivener Blooms pushed onwards through the Gray Mountains, joined by more spirits as they roved through deep valleys and along steep, rocky passes. The spirits behind them kept in time, following loyally and never hesitating: the Pales didn't stumble over rocks or cracks, were unfettered by venting steam or rasping, chilling wind, and small gaps and short walls they could simply blink over, vanishing from sight to reappear some twenty feet away in a single moment's time. The Khlōros garnered the attention of other things as well, however, which only made them push harder to travel quick even while Luna kept a sharp watch, sometimes running in front of the earth pony, at other times flying above. Grimm hissed and lurked around the edges of the convoy of spirits, hating the silent melody because it hinted at giving peace to suffering souls and stealing away their prizes, and while the insubstantial beasts of shadow couldn't directly attack them, they were all too glad to cause distractions by stirring up nearby beasts and attempting to cause avalanches of snow, ice, and stone by shoving rocks down the mountainside or screaming from high vantage points awful, hideous shrieks that ripped through the veil of reality and made both Luna and Scrivener wince. The effect of the Khlōros, however, also made the creatures visible to Luna's eyes… and with a single well-placed blast of her blue fire, the ghastly crow-specters would be sent squealing. Normal fire might hold no threat to them, but Luna's night-tinged magic was more than sufficient to char the very spirits of the foul entities. After a few of the monsters had been incinerated, the Grimm had finally made themselves scarce and relented in their attacks… Luna had only been glad that the foul beasts had never managed to provoke anything larger than a Velite Drake out of hiding and into attacking them. After six hours of hard travel, Scrivener's muscles aching and Luna gritting her teeth as she paced beside him and ignored her own flagging stamina, they finally reached the pass that would lead them out of the Gray Mountains and back into the snowy fields. It was a greater relief than either could say: even if they couldn't afford to take a break yet, they would be able to slow their pace all the same, and it was like a weight had been lifted from their bodies as they made their way down to the frost-speckled tundra with the ominous peaks left at their back. Luna and Scrivener both glanced back, past the pack of ghosts following behind them… and both stared in horror at what they saw. Standing there, at the very border of the Gray Mountain, was some indescribable monstrosity that had likely been tailing them the entire time, perhaps the very source of that weight and pressure they had both felt. A torpedo-shaped head, multiple arms, a handful of eyes that looked as if they had been shoved by an angry child into its clay-like features… and yet it only stood there, as if there was some invisible barrier that kept it trapped inside the surreal world of the mountains. It leaned forwards, tentacles writhing around its face as jaws hidden beneath the flexing appendages clacked as it reached a hand towards them… and Scrivener winced as Luna shook her head, whispering: "Such things lurk in the Mountains that were never meant to see the light of day… things of nature's scorn, mockeries made by pedantic gods… sad and twisted creature, return to thy hovel. We are neither prey nor enemy… take relief that soon, this world and thy sufferance shall end." The terrible monstrosity stared after them… and then it simply faded slowly out of existence as if it had only been a trick of the light, and a chill ran down Scrivy's spine before he glanced towards Luna and muttered: "Let's get out of here. I have a bad feeling that there's worse creatures than that on the move… and that whether the Gray Mountains are beyond normal reality or some kind of terrible prison and pit for… for failures of creation and evolution alike, that cage is going to break open before this world ends." "Let us hope not, Scrivener Blooms. I wish for the last days of this planet to be peaceful, even for the demons and accursed of Helheim that lurk throughout it… if the gaol of the Gray Mountains shatters wide, then we may have no choice but to flee across the Bifrost and wish a quick death to this world." Luna muttered in response, even as she turned and began to run… and Scrivener ran beside her, no longer feeling his aches or pains as adrenaline pulsed through his veins and his chilled blood, doing his best not to glance back for fear that somehow, that thing would be lurking behind them, waiting eagerly to strike. Instead of passing into North Neigh, the two went through the tundra, moving alongside the fencing and through the dunes of ice and snow. Elementals leaned curiously over broken defenses and watched past half-collapsed walls as they passed, and as they ran, more Pales flickered quietly into being around them, Scrivener looking back and forth despite himself for any sign of Tia Belle… but he knew she wasn't there. He knew that she was gone… and for some reason, it left a splinter in his heart to think that somewhere inside of her had been regret for how she had treated him, remorse, perhaps even something more… He lowered his head forwards, swallowing a bit as they pushed onwards, and Luna gazed at him silently… but she knew better than to speak. She could feel him pushing through the emotions, and they were like a jumble of blocks that needed to be carefully pulled apart… and the winged unicorn knew by now when not to rush her husband on certain subjects. All the same, her emotions traveled to him, kissed his thoughts, shielded him in her mental embrace… and the earth pony smiled faintly as he whispered: "I don't know where she's gone now, Luna. But I do honestly hope… it's not Helheim. Bramblethorn I hope ends up somewhere… somewhere nasty, but I… I was never hugged by either of my parents before. Maybe in death it was a little late… but better late than never at all, right?" Luna nodded to him, leaning towards the male as her ethereal mane flickered backwards, and she murmured quietly: "Whether she loved thee or not, Scrivener Blooms… at the end, she recognized thee. Saw some value in thee… and the way she looked at thee…" "I'm gonna start crying again if we talk about it too much, Luna." Scrivener smiled faintly all the same, however, closing his eyes tightly as a shudder passed through him before he shook his head firmly and looked ahead, pretending it was the chilling wind and the sheer cold that was making his eyes ache. "Let's just keep pushing forwards. We have a long way to go." Luna nodded firmly at this as she looked ahead herself… and pushed onwards by love and sorrow, hope and determination, they continued forwards. Their hooves beat against the frosted earth as they charged onwards, ignoring curious Ice Elementals as they finally reached the highway beyond North Neigh and pushed steadily south, into the tattered forest, both knowing they should slow down, both aching in body and heart, but neither wanting to stop as they kept themselves moving at a steady, firm beat, their hearts pulsing in time, their breath rasping in and out as they pushed themselves beyond their limits. The result was that when the two reached the snowy desert beyond the road through the gnarled and tattered forest, the two staggered to a halt and half-collapsed against one another, wheezing for breath as their armor clanked together, throats dry and painful, eyes clenched shut as tears from the exertion, the cold wind, and the wild emotions that had driven them onwards for hours they couldn't even count froze over their cheeks. Scrivener Blooms cursed under his breath weakly as Luna arched her back with a grimace, her ephemeral mane and tail both sparking, flickering for a few moments before she leaned forwards and shoved her quaking front hooves against the ground, their bodies rippling with aches and soreness as the Pales silently formed a thick circle around them and the Khlōros collar continued to hum its ghostly resonance. "We need to rest, Scrivy. I do not understand how thou art even still on thy hooves, wretched stubborn beetle, when my body aches as badly as it does and thou should ache all the worse…" Luna muttered, leaning forwards with a grimace before she snorted as Scrivener slowly laid down on his stomach, shivering as he coughed a few times and lowered his head forwards into the snow. "And thus my point is proven true." "Shut up, Luna." Scrivener mumbled from the snow, and then he twitched a bit, his leathery wings giving an awkward flap before he groaned and mumbled: "Oh hell, you left my wings on…" Luna only grumbled in response to this, replying flatly: "And thou shalt keep them for the entire journey. I am too tired to dispel them… either the polymorph will fade naturally or the Bifrost will do the job for me." Scrivener mumbled to himself, and then he winced as he slowly forced himself up to a sitting position, breathing hard as the Khlōros burned quietly around its neck, still emanating its phantasmal harmony, still drawing the eyes and attention of the Pales. "Twenty minutes?" "Thirty. It has been a long time since we have done such a march… and even if we slow our pace, even if we have the advantage of needing neither food nor rest, neither of us are invincible." Luna hesitated, and then she added quietly: "And I believe that… we are safe from the Black Wolves of Hell. We would have felt their presence and movement… I only hope that they have not succeeded yet in digging their Alpha free from the ruin." Scrivener nodded slowly, and he and Luna leaned against one another as the winged unicorn dropped her head against the side of his neck, her horn gently brushing through his mane as she murmured in a quieter voice: "Thou does not need to push so hard, Scrivy. Nor does thou need to feel such guilt… we are both… we have both made mistakes." "Yeah. I know, Luna, I do, I just…" Scrivener laughed a bit, looking down awkwardly as he slid a foreleg around her, pulling her closer and both used to the staring Pales by now, that watched them silently… but were more interested in the melody of the Khlōros than they were in the two ponies. Perhaps they weren't even truly aware of them… only that they were being led onwards by the enchanting song of the collar of the dead. "I trust you. I love you. I… understand you." "And that last… that is the most precious gift of all." Luna smiled faintly, burying her face deeper against the side of his neck before she sighed softly and straightened slightly, gazing at him silently as he turned towards her, their eyes locking before she reached up and adjusted his glasses for him. "Oh, look at thee, thou art a mess. A jumble, in fact, Scrivener Blooms. Honestly, what would thou do without me?" "Well, I'd be dead, for one thing." Scrivener said blandly, and Luna rolled her eyes before she headbutted him, making the earth pony wince back a bit before the winged unicorn simply grumbled and rested with her head firmly pushed against his. "You'd probably have somepony more handsome, too. Well, knowing you, Twilight, and you'd probably corrupt her into having some menagerie of armored 'bodyguards' at your beck and call…" Luna snorted at this, leaning back and saying indignantly: "Oh, so this is what thou thinks of me? Rude and ungrateful creature!" She paused meditatively, looking up and muttering musingly as she rubbed a hoof under her jaw: "Still, 'tis a fun idea all the same. I only wish I had the power by which to make the Moon Blessed real, or at least there were loyal ponies still around whom we could enlist as so-called 'bodyguards…'" Scrivener glowered at her, and Luna grinned back, winking at him as she leaned forwards and replied kindly: "Two stallions and two mares, would it not be perfect? Amazonians for thee and handsome Adonis-like figures for myself. Unless thou wanted to trade, of course." The earth pony only replied with a sigh, rubbing slowly at his face and muttering disconsolately: "This is why ponies got so weirded out around us, Luna. On the one hoof, you're hyper-protective and we're both obviously codependent. On the other, you gleefully take any and all chances to come up with new 'adventurous fantasies,' as you put it. I'm going to make you sit in the corner of shame at this rate." "'Tis no such thing, and thou cannot, anyway. I am older, wiser, and most importantly, far bigger and stronger than thee." Luna retorted, and Scrivener opened his mouth, but couldn't find a decent response before he winced when the winged unicorn added mildly: "Furthermore, if thou art so resistant to the idea, then I can just take all the bodyguards for my own self and my own 'protection…'" "Okay, okay, you win." Scrivener rolled his eyes, and then he flailed a bit when Luna kicked some snow at him, grumbling and muttering: "You're evil though, Luna, so we're clear on that. You and Nightmare Moon both, and I don't know which is worse." Luna smiled at this, then she leaned forwards and kissed his cheek quietly, and Scrivener sighed but relaxed visibly as they looked at each other… and there was a strange, visible lightening between them, as they studied one another and traded emotions back and forth, the weight of the world seeming to shift off their shoulders. They rested together for another twenty minutes, sipping a bit of water from a canteen before refilling it by straining snow through a simple sieve, and then the two were once more on their way. Instead of heading towards the barrens, however, they instead set course to go around them… and after some three hours of travel, they reached the far eastern edge of the burning wastes, stepping from snow to gravel and mire and rock, entering into a wasteland that all the same was far-less-hostile than the magma floes and hellish hinterland to the west. The two ponies had to pick their course carefully all the same, however, with Luna taking the lead and her spear floating ready at her side as Scrivener Blooms kept looking nervously back and forth. Every so often, some hideous centipede or serpentine, mutated worm would slither its way out of one of the holes in the rocks, eager to try and prey upon the few living things that dared the stony gorge, and the winged unicorn had to be fast to drive the beasts back down into their burrows. A few vicious stabs of her spear would deter the worms, who would retreat with shrieks… but the centipedes had to be slain and torn almost into pieces in order to get them to cease the attack, and they liked to try and pincer in pairs, the size of anacondas and covered in carapaces as hard as metal. It made for slow going: with both the wildlife and the terrain against them and dark clouds beginning to brew in the sky, even their slow march was proving draining. Finally, Scrivener Blooms took to the air, flying slowly and low over the rocky barren with Luna coasting beside him, and the Pales thankfully continued to follow the pull of the Khlōros without any event. It was awkward and a little painful for the earth pony, but all the same it was safer and better than trying to pick his way over a seemingly-endless stretch of sharpened rock, and now they didn't have to worry nearly as much about the predatory insects that somehow managed to live out here in these barrens. They had to pass through a narrow gorge, shepherding the Pales down an ugly slope that looked as if it was made of jutting spikes and blades, passing a massive, crumbled skeleton of a dragon that was covered in silken webs and had become a nest of enormous arachnids that glared balefully at them as they passed, but thankfully, there was little of event: at the bottom of the gorge, there was a narrow river of slag and magma, but it was narrow enough that the Pales simply blinked over it… or strode over the surface, bothered by neither heat nor the semi-liquidity of the lava that was so hot it made both living ponies sweat just to be within twenty feet of it, and had ached unbelievably to pass low over. They had set down on the other side to let their wings rest as they guided the Pales up a long, dusty rock ramp… and as if the broken world had taken pity on them, when they emerged from the rocky gorge they found themselves standing on a straight, ghostly stretch of empty land, a frosty border visible in the distance and a faint snowfall beyond this. They had almost reached the edge of the barrens, and Scrivener Blooms sighed in relief before he grimaced as the Khlōros hissed quietly against his neck, charring him for a moment as he muttered: "Damned thing…" "Is it draining thy energy? Strange… usually we are much further along before it replenishes its magic through vital force." Luna said quietly… and then she and Scrivener both paused before looking over their shoulders at the vast congregation of Pales, some stragglers even all the way on the other side of the gorge still… yet all the same, still following the call of the collar, still wandering silently after them, enraptured by the melancholic song of the strange supernatural device. "Although… today, we draw more souls than I had ever expected to find as well…" "Yeah." Scrivener murmured quietly, then he shook his head slowly and glanced ahead over the stained tundra, saying softly: "Let's keep moving then, Luna. But we should probably rest once we manage to reach the Northedge Strait." "Aye, I agree with thee for once, Scrivener Blooms." Luna gave him a bit of a smile, nodding slowly, and the male nodded back before the two resumed their journey forwards, calmly striding side-by-side over the tundra with the mass of Pales following silently behind them after the call of the Khlōros. Top ↑ Category:Transcript Category:Story